Western Kentucky University (WKU) officials are kicking off a $350 million project to revitalize aging student housing throughout the university’s Bowling Green campus. The WKU Board of Regents announced approval for the housing overhaul earlier this month, joined by project partners with Kentucky Capital Projects and the Bond Oversight Committee.
As part of the approval, the university agreed to a public-private partnership (P3) model with a large real estate development firm, which will oversee operation and management of the project. The firm will offer architecture and engineering contracts for the demolition and renovation of existing buildings, as well as construction of new dining halls and housing.
The revitalization’s first phase will include demolition of two existing dormitories andconstruction of a new six-story, 1,000-bed dormitory and dining hall, to be completed by fall 2028.
The new dormitory and dining hall will be centerpieces of a planned “first-year village” that will also feature collaborative study lounges, integrated community hubs and living-learning communities designed to foster peer-to-peer connection and support a vibrant student population.
University officials also plan in later phases to renovate existing campus housing and expand options for upper class and graduate students. That effort would involve demolishing three additional aging dormitories and adding a 1,400-bed housing facility.
University officials say the investment will improve quality of life for students and strengthen recruitment efforts. WKU has served students since 1906 and currently enrolls 16,000 students, with approximately 5,000 living in on-campus housing.
Photo by K from Pexels
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